222 nm Far-UVC Light and Skin Health: Assessment of DNA Damage Across Different Skin Types

Details

• Journal Article:
  Photochemistry and Photobiology
• Personal Author:
  Buonanno, Manuela ; Petersen, Camryn ; Welch, David ; Hashmi, Raabia ; Brenner, David J.
• Description:
  Due to a limited penetration into skin and eyes combined with a broad germicidal effectiveness, far-UVC light (200-235 nm) has been proposed as an effective intervention for airborne pandemic control. Specifically, 222 nm light is not predicted to damage skin because it is primarily absorbed by the proteins in the superficial stratum corneum of the epidermis. Thus, it is hypothesized that the thickness of the stratum corneum is one of the most significant contributing factors to the risk of skin damage from exposure to far-UVC. From measurements of the stratum corneum thickness in live human skin biopsies, it was found that none of the donor demographics studied had an impact on the thickness of the stratum corneum. While multiple studies suggest that exposure to 222 nm is minimally damaging to skin, a few studies to date have investigated effects as a function of skin characteristics (e.g., individual's age and sex). In selected tissues, the induction of DNA damage following an acute exposure to 100 or 500 mJ/cm2 from 222 nm light was analyzed as a function of donor demographics. The results agree with previous studies using other models of human skin and show that in human skin biopsies, 222 nm induces minor DNA damage only at high doses, especially in skin with low melanin content (phototype).
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Safety Skin Skin Diseases Ultraviolet Rays
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: 222 Nm Safety On Human Skin Biopsies; 222 Nm Skin Safety; Far-UVC And Human Skin Safety Ultraviolet Radiation; Infection Control; Skin Exposure; Skin Tests; DNA Damage; Light Waves;
• Source:
  Photochem Photobiol 2026 Mar/Apr; 102(2):400-410
• ISSN:
  0031-8655
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; New York City Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  11 pdf pages
• Volume:
  102
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071335
• Contact Point Address:
  Manuela Buonanno, Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA
• Email:
  mb3591@cumc.columbia.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Performing Organization:
  Columbia University Health Sciences
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20220930
• End Date:
  20260929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:efaa0b0770e0165a69eb780959fe3a0bc471ce322350f9d7923abf7527da14506413114ca52c75ee161cf12ee3c649b9913a02c35821adc509a83c7e0d514e31
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258811/cdc_258811_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 381.08 KB ]